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Flying start for ESSA team in Brazil

30 November 2013

English swimmers landed three golds to kickstart their challenge on the opening day of the 2013 World School Games in Brasilia.

Harry Ackland (Plymouth Leander), Ruta Meilutyte (Plymouth Leander) and Brittany Horton (City of Birmingham) all won gold medals while Jack Burton (Plymouth Leander) also made the podium on an encouraging opening day for the English Schools Swimming Association (ESSA) team.

Having qualified fastest from the morning heats, Ackland won gold in the 50m Breaststroke final, clocking 29.17 to touch ahead of teammate Burton in 29.45.

Meilutyte followed up with gold in the girls’ equivalent, taking the title in 30.85 with City of Salford’s Katie Matts fifth in 32.90.

Horton landed her title in the 100m Backstroke, taking the touch by just 0.01 seconds as she clocked 1:03.24 with teammate Grace Vertigans (Plymouth Leander) fourth in 1:04.70.

Martyn Walton (Hatfield) and Kunmi Ogunfeibo (Beckenham) made the final of the boys’ 100m back, finishing fifth and sixth in 58.12 and 59.26 respectively.

Four other English swimmers made finals on the opening day with Megan Bowen (Dinnaton) and Jessica Jackson (Hatfield) fourth and fifth in the girls’ 200m Freestyle and Bradley Lynch (City of Birmingham) and Jack Smith (Plymouth Leander) fifth and sixth in the boys’ 200m Free.